ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:
Nearly 15,000 nurses in New York City went on strike today. Included in their list of demands - higher wages, protections from understaffing and tighter security due to recent attacks at hospitals. The work stoppage impacts staff at NewYork-Presbyterian, Montefiore Medical Center and the Mount Sinai Health System - some of the largest providers in the city. All are privately run. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency.
It's the second time in the last three years that the nurses have joined the picket line, and union officials say it's the largest nursing strike in New York City's history. One of those officials joins us now. Nancy Hagans is the president of the New York State Nurses Association. Nancy, welcome to the show.
NANCY HAGANS: Thank you for having me.
SCHMITZ: So Nancy, your union is asking for higher wages, and of course, most labor disputes boil down to money. What is the current average salary of a nurse in New York, and what is the union now asking for?
HAGANS: OK. And I need to make a correction. Our unions are asking for safe staffing because safe staffing saves lives. What we asking is for patient-nurse ratios to be better because what we gained three years ago, management wants to take away. We also asking for workplace violence protection because as you know, it has been a rampage. And last week - Thursday - there was an active shooter at New York Methodist, which belongs to NYP in Brooklyn, New York.
And we also asking for fair wages. Wages, we would negotiate, but patient care, we will not cut corners. I know the media are reporting that management is saying that we asking for 40%, which is false because the CEO of NYP this last year made $23 million. His two-day salaries is more than what nurses make in a year.
SCHMITZ: Now, that's a lot for a CEO, but I want to go back to my first question, Nancy. What is the average annual salary for a nurse in New York City, and what more is the New York - is your union asking for?
HAGANS: Our average salary is, I would say, about 125-, 130,000. We put a proposal. The way wages are being asked, a proposal is across the table, and we would negotiate wages. As nurses, our top priorities are patient safety, working violence protection, benefits that includes proper medical coverage because as nurses, we get hurt a lot. We are exposed to everything. During the height of the pandemic we went to work without PPE, without proper protection, while our CEOs were home playing golf.
SCHMITZ: Right. And...
HAGANS: What we asking is a fair wage that could be negotiated. Right now, we are not going to cut corners when it comes to patient care.
SCHMITZ: That is Nancy Hagans, president of the New York State Nurses Association. Nancy, thank you.
HAGANS: Thank you.
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
In a previous version of this interview that aired earlier today, Nancy Hagans said that an executive at Montefiore Einstein Hospital made $8 million last year. NPR was unable to verify this claim and has reached out to the hospital for comment.
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